title: Sotalol in patients with life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
abstract: To assess the antiarrhythmic efficacy of oral d,l-sotalol, 68 patients with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT) (n = 62) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) (n = 6) were studied by programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS). Fifty-one patients had coronary artery disease with a previous myocardial infarction and there were 17 patients without coronary disease: 11 patients had right and/or left ventricular dysplasia, one patient an aortic-valve replacement, and five patients had no visible heart disease. Prior to sotalol patients were treated with a mean of 3.6 +/- 1.3 antiarrhythmic class I drugs. None of these drugs prevented SMVT or VF. During control PVS (PVS 1), VF was induced in 8 patients (12%), SMVT in 47 patients (69%), and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) in 13 patients (19%). After loading with oral d,l-sotalol (320 mg/day), PVS (PVS 2) was repeated 4.2 +/- 3.3 weeks after PVS 1. In one of the patients (1%) VF was inducible, in 15 patients (22%) SMVT was induced, and in 18 patients (26%) NSVT was induced. In 34 patients (50%) either no or a short ventricular response was inducible. Our data show that oral d,l-sotalol is an effective antiarrhythmic agent in patients with SMVT or VF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Hannover, FRG.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Trappe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lichtlen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013015:Sotalol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D013015:Sotalol